::Thanks! and "Frugal Fodder" ::

Overwhelming response! Thank you so much to all of you who stopped by yesterday and gave your opinion. 

Thank you! 

Just so you know. I now have performance anxiety!  LOL! 

I hope I don't let any of you down. You know how it is with me...my tips on being frugal aren't going to make any of you rich. Lord knows...they've not made me rich. But, they are practical things you may not have thought of; or maybe you've been afraid to try. Some of these things will have to be tweaked and played around with to fit you and your circumstances.  They may not work for you, the way I do it-- but,please, don't discount what I may share here; you never know when it may spark an idea that's perfect for your situation. 

My tip for this week has to do with the holidays and entertaining in your home. 
Not just these holidays but all through out the year--including birthdays. 
If your family is as big as ours or bigger-- buying paper plates, cups, eating utensils, and napkins for everyone can get to be quite expensive; especially, if you want the hearty plates that are designed to hold plenty and not collapse, break or leak! 
  
The money you spend on all of these items can easily rack up; so my suggestion to you is if time allows,and you're going to be purchasing these things anyway-

•  why not visit the thrift shops and buy inexpensive plates, bowls, cups, saucers for desserts. Mix and match them to make for beautiful place setting! 

I've told my grown kids... don't spend money on paper products that are just going into the trash afterwards.  I've decreed it especially when they've all moved out and started their own families, households and budgets. It's just a waste. 

Maybe you can't afford to buy it all at this time.  Here are a few tips for you. 

•  Maybe just buy the plates and skip the drinking glasses.  
•  Use  empty canning jars, jelly glasses or empty condiment jars to drink from. They can look just as nice mixed and matched as the finest crystal.  In fact, that is what we call the jars we drink from ..."Pickle Crystal". It's a name that has stuck. 
• Have kids in the family and are worried about accidents and breakage? Not to worry... many spreads come in plastic jars now. If you wanted to you could save those and let the kids use them.  Most of the smaller children in our family have 'sippy cups' that they bring from home. So that is really never a problem. 

Dishes are everywhere, garage sales, flea markets, thrift stores and they are the fraction of the cost of new dishes from the department stores. When you add up the cost of paper and plastic throw away dishes, to me, it's a no brainer. 
I've seen some pretty 'vintage look' dishes at the stores-- but why bother when you can easily get the real thing and have a beautifully set table. It can be colorful. Plain and white. Mix and Match; the possibilities are endless! Just be creative. 

• Lastly, maybe you have money for the meal this year but just don't have money for the dishes or may not have enough for each person. Ask each household to bring dishes enough for their household! The table will be set and it will be a surprise to everyone how beautiful it can be! 

Just remember it's the people you share the meal with that counts! Not the money spent. 

But the savings help! ;) 

I've got some vintage dishes, platters, bowls in my shop...also I have dish mops still available. 

Check it out! Thanks for looking! 

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you? 

But to do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. 

~Micah 6:8